I often write about specific medical issues or health and wellness topics that are based on research and data. This blog is about something a little less science-y.  I’m talking about mantras. First, what exactly is a mantra?  Originally this term came from both Buddhist and Hindu practices in meditation, meaning a word or sound repeated to aid in concentration. Sometimes these sacred words, syllables, or sounds were thought to have some spiritual or psychological power.

So how does a mantra work? It is a way to mentally focus, in a manner that calms the mind and reduces stress. And it can produce actual physiological responses in our bodies.  A study from Spina’s College of Engineering and Technology in India looked at the traditional, and considered the most powerful, meditative mantra “Om”.  The study showed that the meditative use of “Om” produced significant changes in brain wave patterns as evidenced by EEG (electroencephalogram) readings. These changes showed a stabilization of brain waves and an increase in focus.  Another study showed similar effects of the “Om” mantra through repetitive use, with positive effects evidenced through speech signals – here is the link to the paper –  http://paper.ijcsns.org/07_book/200808/20080825.pdf.

Now I want to focus on its wider meaning, not just for use in mindfulness/meditation.  The term mantra has also come to mean a slogan or a statement that is repeated frequently. In this way, a mantra is a personal statement, something that both energizes you or calms you, and focuses your mind at the same time. This can be of use in an exercise routine, sports activity, or to focus yourself prior to a business presentation or meeting.  It is a way to give yourself a mental boost, to focus your brainpower where it is needed.  It can also help reduce stress and push your mind into a more meditative state, especially over time using the same mantra.  The use of the mantra repetitively seems to improve its overall usefulness. One of my personal mantras is “Make it happen”. I say this to help gear my thinking towards action, to encourage the outcome I want, and to prompt others around me to do the same.

An important key is to keep it simple – don’t pick something long and complicated.  The point of a mantra is to give your mind a particular thing on which to focus, thus allowing your body to perform better and even handle stressors that might arise. You will want to make your mantra something in the present tense, and you want it to be a powerful statement, such as “I am strong…”, “Stay calm…”, “Today I am…”, “Power.”, or “This is it…”.  Find a statement or word that has meaning for you, and that has a positive effect on your mindset. You can also develop personal mantras for different scenarios.  If you want to stay focused during a strenuous activity or work-out, choose something invigorating and empowering.  For a yoga class or tai-chi, you want something more calming.  And in a business setting, it might need to be something specific to the activity or particular environment (such as “I’m rocking this presentation!”).

Mantras are similar to visualization techniques, wherein seeing a particular action in your mind helps develop the neural pathways as if you were physically performing that activity.  Athletes do this to help their game, such as visualizing the basketball going in the hoop or the tennis ball landing just inside the corner of the court. Jack Nicklaus apparently practiced each golf shot in his mind before actually swinging the club.  Again, this is done to focus the brain on a particular outcome and the repetitive use encourages the body to actually do this intended action. A mantra can even be used in conjunction with visualization – your brains sees what you want it to do while you keep telling yourself your power statement to help your mind focus on the task at hand.

The use of a mantra is like an internal pep talk, or like having a personal soundtrack to your life (I even find myself singing a mantra in my head sometimes).  Favorite song lyrics can definitely do the trick. A favorite inspirational quote, or even a single powerful word – anything can be a mantra.  Find something that works for you, and for the situation you are in. And get out there and make it happen!